JPWO2020095868A1 - Fertilized egg sex identification device, fertilized egg sex identification method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for identifying the sex of a fertilized egg with a high identification rate and at high speed based on image data obtained by photographing the outline of the egg. That is, it is a method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg based on the contour of the fertilized egg by a computer, and the contour is extracted based on the image data obtained by photographing the fertilized egg at different angles. A fertilized egg sex identification method in which the minor axis is calculated from the contour, the phase difference of the minor axis corresponding to photography at each angle is calculated, and the sex is determined using the phase difference of the minor axis. It is an egg sex identification device and a program.

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for discriminating between male and female fertilized eggs.

Conventionally, the sex identification of fertilized eggs (hereinafter, also simply referred to as eggs) of chicken eggs, typically chicken eggs, is based on the observation of the egg shape (outer shell shape of the egg) such as the bulge and slenderness of the head. A method has been proposed. However, the appraisal by this method has not been put into practical use because the criteria for distinguishing males and females vary and the appraisal becomes difficult when the shape of the egg changes depending on the parent bird and the breeding environment. In the following, the blunt end side on the long axis of the egg is called the head, the sharp end side (tip side) is called the tail, and the size (length dimension) on the long axis is the major axis and the minor axis perpendicular to the long axis. The size at is called the minor axis.

On the other hand, conventionally, a method has been proposed in which a fertilized egg is identified as male or female based on images taken by a plurality of cameras for its outer shape (outer shell contour). For example, in Patent Document 1, the area strain and the area strain (limit cycle) latent in the contour of a fertilized egg are obtained by performing a differential calculation on image data taken at angles of 0 and 90 degrees on the minor axis. It discloses an appraisal method focusing on the fact that the phase difference differs between males and females.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-142866

However, the appraisal method disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not sufficiently disclose a specific method for substituting the current appraisal rate of anal appraisal and feather appraisal from the image data obtained by imaging. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain an appraisal rate equivalent to the current appraisal rate of 95% to 98% for anal appraisal and feather appraisal, and there is a limit to the improvement of the appraisal rate.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to obtain male and female fertilized eggs at a high appraisal rate and at high speed based on image data obtained by photographing the outline of an egg. The purpose is to provide the technology for appraisal.

In order to solve the above problem, the fertilized egg sex identification method according to one aspect of the present invention determines the sex by the contour of the fertilized egg based on the image data obtained by taking pictures with a plurality of cameras by a computer. A method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg, wherein the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis is the Z axis, and the X is Above the two-dimensional plane composed of the axis and the Y-axis, the optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees to one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis, and the optical axis on one side is formed. The first and second cameras are installed so that the optical axis on the other side intersects the Y axis at the center of the fertilized egg, both of which are on the two-dimensional plane, and the fertilized egg is viewed at different angles. The contour is extracted based on the image data obtained by shooting, the minor axis is calculated from the contour, and the minor axis is photographed by the first camera at an angle of 0 degrees and the minor axis is photographed by the second camera at an angle of 90 degrees. The phase difference of the minor axis, which is the difference of the minor axis due to the above, is calculated, and the inclination of the minor axis obtained by the first camera at an angle of 0 degrees and the second camera at an angle of 90 degrees. The logical product of is calculated, and the sex is determined using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product.

The fertilized egg sex identification device according to another aspect of the present invention is a fertilized egg sex identification device that determines sex based on the contour of the fertilized egg, and the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis and the minor axis is the minor axis. The Y-axis, the axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis is the Z-axis, above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis, and on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis. The optical axis is tilted to one side and the other side at an angle of 45 degrees, so that the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side intersect the Y axis at the center of the fertilized egg on the two-dimensional plane. The contours are extracted based on the image data obtained by photographing the fertilized eggs with the installed first and second cameras at different angles, the minor axis is calculated from the contours, and the first camera is used. The phase difference of the minor axis, which is the difference between the minor axis photographed by the second camera at an angle of 90 degrees and the minor axis photographed by the second camera at an angle of 0 degrees, is calculated, and the photograph is performed by the first camera at an angle of 0 degrees. And a control unit that calculates the logical product of the inclination of the minor axis obtained by shooting at an angle of 90 degrees with the second camera, and determines the sex using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product. To be equipped.

In a program according to another aspect of the present invention, the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis is the Z axis, and the X axis and the said. Above the two-dimensional plane composed of the Y-axis, the optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees to one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis, and the optical axis on one side and the other side are tilted. The fertilized egg is based on image data obtained by photographing with the first and second cameras arranged so that the optical axes intersect the Y axis at the center of the fertilized egg both on the two-dimensional plane. A program for determining sex, a computer extracts a contour based on image data obtained by photographing the fertilized egg at different angles, calculates a minor axis from the contour, and obtains the first camera. The phase difference of the minor axis, which is the difference between the minor axis photographed by the second camera at an angle of 90 degrees and the minor axis photographed by the second camera at an angle of 0 degrees, is calculated and photographed by the first camera at an angle of 0 degrees. , And as a control unit that calculates the logical product of the inclination of the minor axis obtained by shooting at an angle of 90 degrees with the second camera, and determines the sex using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product. Make it work.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for identifying male and female fertilized eggs at a high identification rate and at high speed based on image data obtained by photographing the contour of an egg.

1 (a) and 1 (b) are the points of view of the male-female identification by the fertilized egg male-female identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1 (c) and 1 (d), which explain the difference between eggs, are diagrams showing contour distortion. FIG. 2 is an analysis result of image data showing the sex identification characteristics of fertilized eggs. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the installation relationship of the cameras. FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) show changes in the inclination of the minor axis taken from the image data obtained by photographing 360 degrees to the right when viewed from the blunt end side with the long axis of the fertilized egg as the center. It is a figure which shows. 5 (a) to 5 (c) are diagrams showing the angle difference of the minor axis of the fertilized egg. 6 (a) to 6 (c) are views showing the angular difference in the contour area of the fertilized egg. 7 (a) to 7 (c) are diagrams showing the angle difference of the integrated values of the contour vectors from the head apex of the contour of the fertilized egg to 54 degrees. 8 (a) to 8 (c) are diagrams showing the configuration of an imaging system that is a part of a fertilized egg sex identification device. 9 (a) to 9 (c) are views for explaining the structure of the fertilized egg as viewed in a two-dimensional plane centered on the center of the contour and the minor axis. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are diagrams showing the configuration of the control system of the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the basic structure of the fertilized egg to be inspected. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the definition of the contour vector. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the definition of the reference contour vector. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the spiral structure of the egg. 16 (a) to 16 (d) are views for explaining the first viewpoint of male-female identification by the fertilized egg male-female identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 17 (a) to 17 (c) are views for explaining the first viewpoint of male-female identification by the fertilized egg male-female identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 18 (a) to 18 (d) are views for explaining the second aspect of the sex identification by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 19 (a) to 19 (d) are views for explaining a second aspect of the sex identification by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 20 (a) to 20 (e) are views for explaining the third aspect of the sex identification by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a fourth aspect of sex identification by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 22 (a) to 22 (d) are diagrams showing the analysis results by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 23 (a) to 23 (f) are diagrams showing the analysis results by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the singularity. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a configuration of an analysis unit of a fertilized egg sex identification device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>

The first aspect of the present invention is characterized by, for example, the following.

(A-1) The three-dimensional change in the average value of the contour vector or the difference in the shooting angle of the contour area due to the contour distortion obtained by photographing the contour of the fertilized egg to be inspected at different angles is the egg. Is born from a parent bird by rotating, and develops a latent shape of a fine spiral. The inventor of the present application has noted that the direction of rotation of a fertilized egg is reversed depending on the sex. The three-dimensional characteristics of the outer shell of the egg, which differs between males and females, can be converted into data as the three-dimensional characteristics of each male and female. According to the fertilized egg sex identification device or the like according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the data related to this three-dimensional feature can be manifested as a parameter for characterizing each male and female of the fertilized egg. Accurate appraisal can be performed based on this.

(A-2) The fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is one that photographs the outer surface (outer shell, contour, etc.) of the fertilized egg to be inspected at different angles. Alternatively, the configuration is provided with a photographing means using a plurality of cameras and an image processing means. As the camera, a high-resolution CCD or CMOS image sensor or the like is adopted. Then, the outer shape (outer shell contour) of the fertilized egg is photographed with one camera while changing the angle, or is photographed with a plurality of cameras, and the image data is acquired three-dimensionally, and the image data is precisely obtained. By converting to the contour data, the data that manifests the trace of rotation as described above is obtained.

Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

First, while introducing experimental data and the like, the fertilized egg sex identification device, the fertilized egg sex identification method, and the program according to the first embodiment of the present invention detail the viewpoints that were focused on in the sex identification of fertilized eggs. Explain to.

With reference to FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d), the difference between the outline of the egg and its contour distortion, which is the point of view of the sex identification by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, is female. Explain the difference between eggs (♀) and male eggs (♂).

In the present embodiment, the contour distortion is calculated from the contour data extracted from the image taken while rotating the egg 10 360 degrees clockwise in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure around the major axis connecting the blunt end 4 and the sharp end 5. .. FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of the contour 1 of the egg 10 and its contour distortion. FIG. 1B shows the contour distortion of the contour 1 calculated from the camera output (speed change: angular velocity) of the egg 10 taken intermittently between the shooting angles of 0 degrees and 360 degrees, and the approximate curve thereof. ..

As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the velocity curve has a different pattern between males and females, which is due to the fact that the directions of rotation when born from the parent bird are opposite between males and females. This characteristic can be defined as a periodic function composed of relaxation vibrations at two frequencies. The known concept of Van der Pol's equation can be applied to the relaxation vibration.

Here, in general, forced vibration can be defined by the following equation, where the viscosity coefficient is γ and the vibration amplitude is θ.

And to properly describe forced vibration,
-Breaking the invariance with respect to expansion or contraction-Suppressing the increase in energy with γ <0-When γ <0, it is required to be able to continuously replenish to compensate for the energy loss.

Van der Pol for the first time pointed out that the above-mentioned properties can be obtained by a mathematically simple change in which the viscosity coefficient γ depends on the amplitude θ of vibration. It may be assumed that γ is negative when the amplitude is small and positive when the amplitude is large. Van der Pol's equation is defined by the following equation, which includes the dimensionless parameter ε.

According to the same equation, when ε is large, the temporal change of the amplitude θ becomes a phenomenon of two different time scales. One is the part that shows slow fluctuations and the other is the part that shows rapid changes. This characteristic phenomenon is the relaxation vibration described above. Then, the motion θ (t) of the limit cycle (periodic activation included in the limit set of a certain point) can be indicated by a Fourier series, and any mechanical quantity X (t) can be defined as the following equation. can.

Then, the velocity approximation formula is defined by the following formula.

Further, the contour distortion as shown in FIGS. 1 (c) and 1 (d) can be expressed by the following equation.

FIG. 2 shows and describes the analysis results of image data showing the sex identification characteristics of fertilized eggs. Note that FIG. 3 shows the position (angle with respect to the fertilized egg) of the camera for photographing the fertilized egg.

As shown in FIG. 3, the egg 10 is placed on the installation table 23 so that its long axis is from the front to the back of the paper. The camera 200 captures the contour of the placed egg with an angle difference of 90 degrees between the right (Right) and the left (Left) positions on the short axis side of the placed egg. More specifically, the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis is the Z axis, and one side and the other side on the Y axis with respect to the Z axis. The optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees, and the contour of the fertilized egg is photographed with an angle difference of 90 degrees between the positions on one side (shooting angle 0 degrees) and the other side (shooting angle 90 degrees). Then, the rotation direction is determined by taking the difference of the image data obtained by each shooting. By determining this direction of rotation, it is possible to identify the sex.

In FIG. 2, Meas-No is the imaging number of the test egg, SEX is the verification result by feather appraisal, IncSR0 is the inclination direction of the contour with a imaging angle of 0 degrees, and IncSR90 is the minor axis of the contour with an imaging angle of 90 degrees. In the direction of inclination, PD_YRL indicates the phase difference of the minor diameter, PD_SEAL indicates the angle difference of the area, PD_TRFRL indicates the angle difference of the contour, and PD_TRARL indicates the angle difference of the entire contour vector. Furthermore, Left in each rating column indicates that the slope of the minor axis is to the left, Right is to the right, Lag is phase lag, and Lead is phase advance.

As is clear from FIG. 2, it may be possible to confirm the difference in characteristics between males and females in PD_TRFRL and PD_TRARL. In PD_TRARL, some errors are seen, but it is considered that this is due to the shooting error.

In FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the inclination change of the minor axis taken from the image data obtained by photographing 360 degrees to the right when viewed from the blunt end side with the long axis of the fertilized egg as the center. Will be shown and explained. Specifically, FIG. 4 (a) shows the characteristics of a female egg, and FIG. 4 (b) shows the characteristics of a male egg. In each figure, the horizontal axis is the photographing number and the vertical axis is the amount of inclination (°). Further, on the vertical axis, when it is larger than 0, it is tilted to the right (tilt to the right), and when it is smaller than 0, it is tilted to the left (tilt to the left). Here, in order to make the explanation easier to understand, the right inclination is set as the starting point for both males and females. As is clear from FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the characteristics of the inclination of the minor axis of the fertilized egg around the major axis differ between males and females. Male and female identification is possible.

FIG. 5 (a) shows a change in the inclination of the minor axis, and FIGS. 5 (b) and 5 (c) show the phase of the minor axis of the fertilized egg. More specifically, FIG. 5A shows the change of the inclination IncSR0 in the minor axis of the contour whose shooting angle is 0 degrees, and is 0 degrees to 90 degrees, 90 degrees to 180 degrees, 180 degrees to 270 degrees. The area is divided at 270 degrees to 360 degrees. The characteristic of the female egg is curve F, and the characteristic of the male egg is curve M. FIG. 5 (b) shows the minor axis phase difference PD_YRLn of the female egg, and FIG. 6 (c) shows the minor axis phase difference PD_YRLn of the male egg. If it is larger than 0 degrees, it rotates clockwise, and if it is smaller than 0 degrees, it rotates counterclockwise. Male and female characteristics are different in each region. Therefore, male and female can be identified by using the phase difference of the minor axis of the fertilized egg.

FIG. 6A shows a change in the inclination of the minor axis, and FIGS. 6B and 6C show an angular difference in the contour area of the fertilized egg. More specifically, FIG. 6A shows the change of the inclination IncSR0 in the minor axis of the contour whose shooting angle is 0 degrees, and is 0 degrees to 90 degrees, 90 degrees to 180 degrees, 180 degrees to 270 degrees. The area is divided at 270 degrees to 360 degrees. The characteristic of the female egg is curve F, and the characteristic of the male egg is curve M. FIG. 6 (b) shows the angle difference PD_SERLn of the area of the female egg, and FIG. 6 (c) shows the angle difference PD_SERLn of the area of the male egg. In the same phase as the minor axis phase difference, there is a difference in the characteristics of the angle difference PD_SERLn between the male and female areas. Therefore, male and female can be identified by using the angle difference of the contour area of the fertilized egg.

FIG. 7 (a) shows a change in the inclination of the minor axis, and FIGS. 7 (b) and 7 (c) show the angle difference of the contour vector integrated value from the head apex of the contour of the fertilized egg to a predetermined angle. explain. More specifically, FIG. 7A shows the change in the inclination IncSR0 at the minor axis of the contour whose shooting angle is 0 degrees, 0 degrees to 90 degrees, 90 degrees to 180 degrees, 180 degrees to 270 degrees, The area is divided at 270 degrees to 360 degrees. The characteristic of the female egg is curve F, and the characteristic of the male egg is curve M. 7 (b) and 7 (c) show the angle difference PD_TRFRL of the contours (referred to as contour F) of the female and male eggs from an angle of 0 degrees to an angle of 45 degrees, respectively. In this method, after converting the contour into a vector value, the average value on the left and right is obtained, and the angle difference at an angle of 90 degrees is calculated. As is clear from FIGS. 7 (a) to 7 (c), the characteristics are opposite to those of the phase difference of the minor diameter and the angle difference of the area described above, but there is regularity. Therefore, by using the angle difference PD_TRFRL of the contour F of this fertilized egg, it is possible to identify males and females.

In this way, the average value of the contour vector due to the contour distortion obtained by photographing the contour of the fertilized egg to be inspected at different angles, or the three-dimensional change in the angle difference of the contour area is determined by the egg. It develops a structurally non-linear property that indicates the rotation that occurs when it is born from a parent bird. By identifying males and females based on this non-linearity, it is possible to digitize the three-dimensional characteristics of each male and female existing in the contour of the fertilized egg, and according to the data representing these three-dimensional characteristics, it is accurate. It is possible to identify the sex of fertilized eggs.

Here, FIG. 8 shows and describes a configuration of an imaging system that is a part of a fertilized egg sex identification device. FIG. 8A is a schematic view of the photographing system, FIG. 8B shows a procedure for adjusting the horizontal position of the fertilized egg to be photographed, and FIG. 8C shows a procedure for adjusting the horizontal position.

As shown in the figure, the configuration of the photographing system includes three cameras 2011, 211, 221 arranged so as to be capable of photographing at different shooting angles. The long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes is the Z axis, and above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X and Y axes and with the X axis. A camera 201 (center camera) is installed above the Z-axis of the fertilized egg at the intersection with the Y-axis, and above the two-dimensional plane, on one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis. The optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees, and the camera 211 (left camera) and camera so that the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side intersect the Y axis at the center of the fertilized egg on a two-dimensional plane. 221 (light camera) is installed. In this example, shooting with the camera 211 (left camera) is called shooting at an angle of 0 degrees, and shooting with the camera 221 (right camera) is called shooting at an angle of 90 degrees.

The mounting table 23 on which the fertilized egg 10 to be inspected is placed is driven by a three-axis control unit 24 which is responsible for horizontal angle control, rotation angle control, and height control. The fertilized egg 10 is placed on the mounting table 23 with the major axis oriented perpendicular to the paper surface. The horizontal angle and angle of rotation of the mounting table 23 are such that the center of the long axis (major axis) coincides with the intersection of the optical axes of the three cameras 2011, 21 and 221 according to the posture and size of the fertilized egg. , And the height is controlled by the 3-axis control unit 24. Normally, the camera 201 is installed on a vertical line (Z-axis perpendicular to the XY-axis plane of the mounting table 23) so that its optical axis coincides with each other.

It is generally known that the size of eggs varies by nearly 20% from the time the parent bird begins laying eggs until it is abandoned. Due to this change, the egg is placed on the mounting table 23 and the center of the egg also changes. As the center changes, the position of the long axis of the egg changes on the horizontal plane and on the vertical line, so that the outline of the egg cannot be photographed correctly. As a result, the accuracy of the angle difference that captures the rotation direction of the egg deteriorates, and accurate image data cannot be obtained, which affects the appraisal rate.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to solve this problem, the three-axis control unit 24 controls the horizontal angle control for adjusting the XY axes (horizontal plane, two-dimensional plane) of the mounting table 23, and controls the orientation angle of the long axis. A three-axis control unit 24 that controls the rotation angle and the height is provided. In FIG. 8, as the egg grows larger, the center of the egg changes from the intersection of the optical axes of the camera 211 and the camera 221 along the vertical line (Z axis) and moves upward. This change shifts upward in the X-axis direction from the angle of 90 degrees to be photographed by the left and right cameras 211 and 221. Therefore, the 3-axis control unit 24 drives and controls the mounting table 23 so that the points visited by the optical axes of the left and right cameras 211 and 221 and the long axis of the egg are aligned. The 3-axis control unit 24 may adopt a servo control method.

The shooting operation with such a configuration is as follows. First, the egg to be inspected is placed on the mounting table 23, and the long axis of the egg as seen by the camera 201 is the X-axis Horizontal of the camera (horizontal and vertical scanning directions, while the horizontal direction is the X-axis here. The 3-axis control unit 24 performs servo control so as to be parallel to the above. The same applies to the rotation angle C Angle.

Subsequently, the minor axis (minor axis dimension, width) of the egg is calculated based on the image data obtained by the image taken by the camera 201, and the height is adjusted (Z-axis adjustment) so as to be a preset fixed value. .. Similarly, the horizontal angle is adjusted based on the image data obtained by shooting with the camera 201, and the long axis of the image data obtained by shooting with the cameras 211 and 221 is the long axis of the image data obtained by shooting with the camera 201. Match with. With all the adjustments, the cameras 2011, 21 and 221 take three-sided images.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (c), the structure seen in a two-dimensional plane centered on the center of the contour of the fertilized egg and the minor axis will be described.

FIG. 9A shows a straight line (line segment) 14 drawn radially from the center of the egg (the intersection of the X-axis and the Y-axis) to the outer shell at a constant angle θ with respect to the contour (outer shell) in the direction of arrow A. It shows the change in length (vector change) of the line segment when it is moved. FIG. 9B shows the vector changes of the contour right (upper curve) and the contour left (lower curve) when the contour of the egg is viewed from 0 to 180 degrees. FIG. 9 (c) shows the coordinate representation for applying the vector change to the contour of the egg.

As shown in FIG. 9 (c), in the present embodiment, in the contour 1 of the egg, the line connecting the blunt end of the head top and the sharp end of the tail top is the major axis ( Long Radial), the line connecting the right apex of the short axis (Upper top) and the left apex of the width (Lower top) is the short diameter (Short Radial), and the contour on the right apex side of the width is the right contour (Right Contour). ), The contour on the left apex side of the width is called the left contour (Left Contour). Of course, since there are individual differences, the center of the minor axis of the egg does not always coincide with the center of the major axis (Egg Center).

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which employs the viewpoint of sex identification as described above, will be described in detail.

FIG. 10 shows and describes in detail the configuration of the control system of the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the fertilized egg sex identification device includes three cameras 50, 51, 52 arranged so as to be able to shoot at different shooting angles. The mounting table 70 on which the fertilized egg 10 to be inspected is placed has three axes adjusted by the horizontal angle adjusting mechanism 64, the rotation angle control adjusting mechanism 65, and the height adjusting mechanism 66. The horizontal angle and angle of rotation of the mounting table 70 are such that the center of the long axis (major axis) coincides with the intersection of the optical axes of the three cameras 50, 51, 52 according to the posture and size of the fertilized egg. , And the height is controlled by the angle control unit 60.

The fertilized egg sex identification device includes a control unit 53 that controls the whole. The control unit 53 is connected to the display unit 67, the operation unit 68, and the storage unit 69. Then, the control unit 53 executes the program stored in the storage unit 69 to analyze the 0-degree contour generation unit 54, the 45-degree contour generation unit 55, the 90-degree contour generation unit 56, the three-plane contour synthesis unit 57, and the analysis. It functions as a unit 58 and an angle command unit 59. The angle command unit 59 is connected to the angle control unit 60. Then, the angle control unit 60 is connected to the horizontal adjustment mechanism 64 via the wave driver 61, the rotation driver 62 is connected to the rotation angle adjustment mechanism 65, and is connected to the height adjustment mechanism 66 via the lift driver 63. There is. The control unit 53 is realized by a computer or the like.

As for the configuration of the shooting system, it includes three cameras 50, 51, and 52 arranged so that shooting can be performed at different shooting angles. The long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes is the Z axis, and above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X and Y axes and with the X axis. A camera 51 (center camera) is installed above the Z-axis of the fertilized egg at the intersection with the Y-axis, and above the two-dimensional plane, on one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis. The optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees, and the camera 50 (left camera) and camera so that the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side intersect the Y axis at the center of the fertilized egg on a two-dimensional plane. 52 (light camera) is installed. Shooting with the camera 50 (left camera) is called shooting at an angle of 0 degrees, shooting with the camera 51 (center camera) is called shooting at an angle of 45 degrees, and shooting with the camera 52 (right camera) is called shooting at an angle of 90 degrees. It's called shooting.

In such a configuration, each image data obtained by imaging by the three cameras 50 (shooting angle 0 degrees), the camera 51 (shooting angle 45 degrees), and the camera 52 (shooting angle 90 degrees) is the control unit 53. It is sent to the 0 degree contour generation unit 54, the 45 degree contour generation unit 55, and the 90 degree contour generation unit 56, respectively. Then, contour data (0-degree contour data, 45-degree contour data, and 90 degrees) based on image data obtained by shooting at angles of 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees in each of the parts 54, 55, and 56. Degree contour data; coordinate data, etc.) is generated. These contour data are sent to the three-sided contour synthesizing unit 57, respectively, and three-sided contour synthesizing of 0-degree contour data, 45-degree contour data, and 90-degree contour data is performed. Then, the analysis unit 58 analyzes each contour data and the synthesized three-sided contour data.

More specifically, the analysis unit 58 of the control unit 53 includes an element calculation unit 58a, a minor axis inclination change calculation unit 58b, a minor axis angle difference calculation unit 58c, a contour area angle difference calculation unit 58d, and a contour angle difference calculation unit 58e. , The total contour vector angle difference calculation unit 58f, and the appraisal unit 58g.

The element calculation unit 58a calculates the elements (for example, major axis, minor axis, area, minor axis inclination, major axis inclination, etc.) required for calculation in each unit. The minor axis inclination change calculation unit 58b calculates the minor axis inclination change of the fertilized egg to be inspected. The minor axis angle difference calculation unit 58c calculates the minor axis angle difference of the fertilized egg. The contour area angle difference calculation unit 58d calculates the angle difference of the contour area of the fertilized egg. The contour angle difference calculation unit 58e calculates the angle difference of the contour of the fertilized egg. The all contour vector angle difference calculation unit 58f calculates the angle difference of all contour vectors. Then, the appraisal unit 58g discriminates the sex of the fertilized egg using at least one of the calculation results of each unit 58a to 58f, and outputs the appraisal result.

Then, the analysis result by the analysis unit 58 is stored in the storage unit 69. Further, the display unit 57 displays the sex identification result of the fertilized egg to be inspected.

In the process of analysis by the analysis unit 58, the angle command unit 59 sends a control signal angle control unit 60 related to driving the mounting table 70, and the angle control unit 60 sends a wave driver 61, a rotation driver 62, and a lift driver 63. Sends a control signal to. The wave driver 61, the rotation driver 62, and the lift driver 63 drive the horizontal angle adjusting mechanism 64, the rotation angle control adjusting mechanism 65, and the height adjusting mechanism 66 based on the control signal.

Hereinafter, the processing procedure by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. At least a part of this treatment procedure also corresponds to the fertilized egg sex identification method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

When the process is started, the control unit 53 receives the input of the image data from each of the cameras 50 to 52 and processes it (S1). Subsequently, the image data is sent to the 0-degree contour generation unit 54, the 45-degree contour generation unit 55, and the 90-degree contour generation unit 56 of the control unit 53, and the contour data (coordinate data on the XY plane, etc.) is generated in each unit. Will be generated. This contour data is sent to the three-sided contour synthesizing unit 57, and the three-sided contour synthesizing of the 0-degree contour data, the 45-degree contour data, and the 90-degree contour data is performed (S2).

Subsequently, the analysis unit 58 analyzes each contour data and the synthesized three-sided contour data (S3). Specifically, the element calculation unit 58a calculates the elements required for the calculation in each unit (for example, the contour vector, the major axis, the minor axis, the area, the minor axis inclination, the major axis inclination, etc. defined above). The minor axis inclination change calculation unit 58b calculates the minor axis inclination change of the fertilized egg to be inspected. The minor axis angle difference calculation unit 58c calculates the minor axis angle difference of the fertilized egg. The contour area angle difference calculation unit 58d calculates the angle difference of the contour area of the fertilized egg. The contour angle difference calculation unit 58e calculates the angle difference of the contour of the fertilized egg. The all contour vector angle difference calculation unit 58f calculates the angle difference of all contour vectors. Then, the appraisal unit 58g appraises the sex of the fertilized egg using at least one of the calculation results of each unit 58a to 58f (S3). In this way, the appraisal result is displayed on the display unit 67 (S4), and a series of processes related to the fertilized egg male / female appraisal is completed.

As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the following techniques are realized.

(1-1) A method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg based on the contour of the egg, which is a contour caused by contour distortion obtained by photographing the contour of the fertilized egg to be inspected at different angles. A fertilized egg sex identification method that determines sex by using the change in the imaging angle difference of the vector average value in three-dimensional space.

(1-2) A method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg based on the contour of the egg, which is a contour caused by contour distortion obtained by photographing the contour of the fertilized egg to be inspected at different angles. A fertilized egg sex identification method that determines sex by using the change in the shooting angle difference of the area in three-dimensional space.

(1-3) In the above (1-1) or (1-2), around the long axis connecting the blunt end and the sharp end of the fertilized egg, with the contour vector average value on the surface of the fertilized egg. A fertilized egg male / female identification method in which males and females are identified by using the fact that the contour areas of males and females exhibit spiral shapes in different directions.

(1-4) In the above (1-3), the long axis connecting the blunt end and the sharp end of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis orthogonal to the long axis is the Y axis, and the X axis and the Y axis are The X-axis is orthogonal to the X-axis and the Y-axis at the intersection of the above, and the contour strain in the contour of the fertilized egg around the X-axis in the XY two-dimensional plane viewed from above the Z-axis is around the X-axis. A method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg, which changes along the rotation of the fertilized egg and uses the fact that the contour strain is in the opposite direction depending on the sex of the test egg.

(1-5) In (1-4) above, the contour strain is at an angle θ previously divided from the intersection of the X-axis and the Y-axis of the fertilized egg on the XY two-dimensional plane. Male and female fertilized eggs formed by forming changes in vector data on the two-dimensional plane of a straight line extending to the contour of the fertilized egg in a three-dimensional space in the Z-axis direction along the rotation around the X-axis. Appraisal method.

(1-6) In (1-3) above, the contour strain is the four quadrants of the two-dimensional plane formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis along the rotation of the fertilized egg around the X-axis. A fertilized egg sex identification method in which changes in area in each quadrant are formed in a three-dimensional space in the Z-axis direction along the rotation around the X-axis.

(1-7) In the above (1-3), the data for expressing the contour strain is above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis of the fertilized egg, and the Z-axis. Above, image data generated from an imaging signal of a camera whose X-axis is aligned with the optical axis, and above the two-dimensional plane with respect to the Z-axis, on one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis. A pair in which the optical axis is tilted at a preset angle φ, and the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side are located at the center of the fertilized egg on the two-dimensional plane so as to intersect the Y axis. A fertilized egg sex identification method generated from image data generated from an imaging signal from a side camera of.

(1-8) A fertilized egg sex identification device, a program, or a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, which carries out the methods (1-1) to (1-7) above.

<Second Embodiment>

The second embodiment of the present invention is characterized by, for example, the following.

(B-1) The outer shape (outer shell contour) of the fertilized egg to be inspected is photographed by a plurality of cameras, image data is acquired three-dimensionally, and the image data is converted into precise contour data. , The minor axis in the contour is calculated, the phase difference of the minor axis is calculated, and the sex of the fertilized egg is identified by the phase difference.

(B-2) The outer shape (outer shell contour) of the fertilized egg to be inspected is photographed by a plurality of cameras, image data is acquired three-dimensionally, and the image data is converted into precise contour data. , The inclination of the minor axis in the contour is calculated, the logical product of the inclination of the minor axis is calculated, and the sex of the fertilized egg is identified by the logical product.

(B-3) The outer shape (outer shell contour) of the fertilized egg to be inspected is photographed by a plurality of cameras, image data is acquired three-dimensionally, and the image data is converted into precise contour data. , The area strain and the inclination of the minor axis in the contour are calculated, the logical product of the area strain and the inclination of the minor axis is calculated, and the sex of the fertilized egg is identified by the logical product.

Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In addition, various definitions such as ring distortion and hardware configuration described above in the first embodiment are also applied in this embodiment. For example, the point of view of male-female identification by the fertilized egg male-female identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, that is, the difference between the outline of the egg and its contour distortion is different between the female egg (♀) and the male egg (♂). , Since it is the same as that described above with reference to FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d), duplicate description will be omitted.

First, with reference to FIG. 12, the basic structure of the fertilized egg to be inspected will be described.

When an image is taken while rotating the egg 360 degrees to the right with respect to the major axis of the egg, the inclination of the minor axis with respect to the major axis of the egg changes as shown in FIG. In the figure, the case of tilting to the left is referred to as Left, and the case of tilting to the right is referred to as Right. For example, as described above, the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X axis, the short axis is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis is the Z axis, and the two are composed of the X axis and the Y axis. A center camera is installed above the dimensional plane and above the Z axis of the fertilized egg at the intersection of the X and Y axes, above the two dimensional plane and on one side of the Y axis with respect to the Z axis. The optical axis is tilted to the other side at an angle of 45 degrees, and the left camera and right camera so that the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side intersect the Y axis at the center of the fertilized egg on a two-dimensional plane. When installed, the "minor axis tilt" means the minor axis tilt on the two-dimensional plane when viewed from the optical axis direction, and is short on the two-dimensional plane when viewed from the optical axis direction. When the inclination of the diameter is downward to the right, it is set to Right, and when it is downward to the left, it is set to Left. When the minor axis is tilted to the left or right in this way, the length Ly of the minor axis also changes, and as a result, the relationship between the area strain of the head and the tail of the egg changes.

The inclination of the minor axis and the head area strain HLMC are in phase, and the head area strain HLMC and the tail area strain TLMC are in opposite phase. In addition, the relationship between the minor axis tilt IncSR and the tail area strain TLMC is reversed at 180 degrees. Further, when the phase difference of the minor axis was obtained, it was found that the phase difference was reversed at 90 degree intervals, and the phase difference was further reversed between the female egg and the male egg. Therefore, by combining the slope of the minor axis and the logical product of the area strain, it is possible to discriminate between males and females in four quadrants (90 degree intervals).

Here, the head area strain HLMC and the tail area strain TLMC are the right side area S_HR of the head from the minor axis, the left side area S_HL of the head from the minor axis, the right side area S_TR of the tail from the minor axis, and the tail area from the minor axis. It is defined as follows by the left side area S_TL.
HLMC ＝ S_HR-S_HL
TLMC = S_TR-S_TL

Further, the phase difference at the minor axis is defined as follows by the minor axis Ly0 taken at an angle of 0 degrees and the minor axis Ly90 taken at an angle of 90 degrees.
PD_YRL ＝ Ly0-Ly90
Here, also in this embodiment, the photographing system includes a plurality of cameras arranged so as to be able to photograph at different shooting angles, and the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X-axis and the short axis is the Y-axis. The axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis is the Z-axis, and above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis, the angles of one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis are 45 degrees, respectively. The optical axis is tilted with, and the shooting on one side is taken at an angle of 0 degrees, and the shooting on the other side is taken at an angle of 90 degrees. That is, for example, in the configuration of FIG. 10 shown above, the camera 50 (left camera) shoots at an angle of 0 degrees, the camera 51 (center camera) shoots at an angle of 45 degrees, and the camera 52. Shooting with (light camera) is shooting at an angle of 90 degrees.

The logical product due to the inclination of the minor axis is defined as follows by the inclinations IncSR0 and IncSR90 at the minor axis obtained by photographing at an angle of 0 degrees and photographing at 90 degrees.
AIP_SRRL = and (IncSR0, IncSR90)

Next, the definition of the contour vector will be described with reference to FIG.

となる。つまり、角度を９０度変えた撮影により得た画像データより算出した輪郭ベクトルの差を求めた値がPD_TRARLとなる（PD_TRARL=TRA0−TRA90）。In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the distance at which the radiation divided at an arbitrary angle from the center of the egg to be inspected intersects the contour line is defined as the contour vector, and the value obtained by integrating the line segments is defined as TRA. Define. In particular,

Will be. That is, PD_TRARL is the value obtained by calculating the difference between the contour vectors calculated from the image data obtained by shooting with the angle changed by 90 degrees (PD_TRARL = TRA0-TRA90).

Next, the definition of the reference contour vector will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, the contour distortion of the egg is shown together with the contour of the egg. From the figure, the contour distortion converges to zero at the position of Lx / 4 from the apex of the head on the long axis Lx. Therefore, in this embodiment, the contour vector at the zero contour distortion point is defined as the reference vector BLA, and the vector distortion from the head apex to the reference point (shown by hatching in the figure) is defined as FLMC.

Here, the phase difference of the reference vector is defined as follows by the reference vectors BLA0, BLA45, and BLA90 defined on the image data obtained in each shooting at angles of 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees. ..
PD_BLARL = BLA0−BLA90
PD_BLARC ＝ BLA0－BLA45
PD_BLARL = BLA45－BLA90

Next, the spiral structure of the egg will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, the contour distortion of the egg is shown together with the contour of the egg. When observing the egg from the apex of the head, it is not a perfect circle but a slight ellipse. Further, the long axis of the ellipse rotates gradually and continuously from the head apex to the tail apex. This is the spiral structure of the egg.

On the other hand, in order to accurately detect the head apex of the egg, the left and right contour vectors Vq at a point 1/4 from the head apex of the long axis Lx are balanced. As a result, the contour distortion converges to zero as shown. From this point of view, the sex of the egg can be identified by correlating the vector Vq with the minor axis Ly.

Hereinafter, the viewpoint of sex identification by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the present embodiment based on the above definition will be described in detail based on the experimental data.

First, the first viewpoint of sex identification will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 (a) to 16 (d) and 17 (a) to 17 (c).

FIG. 16 (a) shows the minor axis Ly of the female egg, FIG. 16 (b) shows the minor axis Ly of the male egg, and FIG. 16 (c) shows the minor axis Ly of the female egg obtained by a plurality of cameras. The difference between the values is shown, and FIG. 16 (d) shows the difference between the values obtained by a plurality of short-diameter cameras of a male egg. As is clear from these figures, the minor axis Ly changes slightly when the egg is photographed while being rotated 360 degrees. Then, when the change (difference) is enlarged, the characteristics differ between males and females.

On the other hand, FIG. 17 (a) shows the minor axis Ly0 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing the female egg at an angle of 0 degrees, and FIG. 17 (b) shows the female egg at an angle of 90 degrees. The minor axis Ly90 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing is shown, and FIG. 17 (c) shows the phase difference PD_YRL of the minor axis. As is clear from these figures, when the difference between the minor diameters is calculated at intervals of 90 degrees, the characteristics of the difference are reversed in the four quadrants. By performing the same operation on male eggs, the characteristics of male eggs in four quadrants can be obtained, but the characteristics are opposite in male and female. Therefore, using this characteristic, it is possible to identify the sex of a fertilized egg. The minor axis 90 degree phase difference PD_YRL corresponds to the rotation direction of the spiral structure of the egg.

Next, the second viewpoint of sex identification will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 (a) to 18 (d) and FIGS. 19 (a) to 19 (d).

FIG. 18 (a) shows the minor axis inclination IncSR0 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing the female egg at an angle of 0 degrees, and FIG. 18 (b) shows the female egg at an angle of 0 degrees. FIG. 18 (c) shows the minor axis Ly0 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing, and FIG. 18 (c) shows the minor axis Ly90 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing the female egg at an angle of 90 degrees. (D) shows the phase difference PD_YRL of the minor axis.

Similarly, FIG. 19 (a) shows a minor axis slope IncSR0 calculated from image data obtained by photographing a male egg at an angle of 0 degrees, and FIG. 19 (b) shows a male egg angle of 0. The minor axis Ly0 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing at 90 degrees is shown, and FIG. 19 (c) shows the minor axis Ly90 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing the male egg at an angle of 90 degrees. , FIG. 19 (d) shows the phase difference PD_YRL of the minor axis.

In these figures, the minor axis Ly0 has characteristics based on the inclination IncSR0 of the minor axis. When the phase of the minor axis Ly0 is advanced by 90 degrees (Ly90) and the phase difference PD_YRL is calculated, the male and female characteristics are opposite in each of the four quadrants. This also applies when using image data obtained by installing a plurality of cameras at intervals of 90 degrees. Therefore, according to this short-diameter phase difference PD_YRL, it is possible to identify the sex of a fertilized egg. The phase difference PD_YRL with a minor axis angle of 90 degrees corresponds to the rotation direction of the spiral structure of the egg.

Next, the third viewpoint of sex identification will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 (a) to 20 (e).

FIG. 20 (a) shows the minor axis inclination IncSR0 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing the female egg at an angle of 0 degrees, and FIG. 20 (b) shows the female egg at an angle of 90 degrees. The minor axis slope IncSR90 calculated from the image data obtained by photographing is shown, FIG. 20 (c) shows the logical product AIP_SRRL of the minor axis slopes IncSR0 and IncSR90, and FIG. 20 (d) shows the short diameter of the female egg. The phase difference PD_YRL of the diameter is shown, and FIG. 20 (e) shows the phase difference PD_YRL of the minor diameter of the male egg.

Similar to that described above in FIG. 12, when an image is taken while rotating the egg 360 degrees to the right around the long axis, the inclination of the minor axis of the egg changes as shown in FIG. As the minor axis tilts to the left and right, the length also changes, and as a result, the area strain of the head and tail changes. Then, when the phase of the slope IncSR0 was advanced by 90 degrees (IncSR) and the logical product AIP_SRRL of both was obtained, it became clear that the characteristics were inverted every 90 degrees. Since this characteristic is the same as that of the minor axis phase difference PD_YRL, the characteristic of the logical product AIP_SRRL can be used for gender identification, as with the minor axis phase difference PD_YRL.

Next, with reference to FIG. 21, the fourth viewpoint of sex identification will be described.

The figure shows the minor axis extracted from 16 image data of 16 male and female fertilized eggs taken at 22.5 degree intervals while rotating 360 degrees, and the measured values such as the inclination of the minor axis. It is a list. From the figure, the logical product AIP_TS0 of the tail area strain and the slope of the minor axis is clearly divided into IP (in-phase) / AP (reverse-phase) in the characteristics of the female egg and the male egg. It was revealed that the product can be used for sex identification of fertilized eggs.

Next, FIGS. 22 (a) to 22 (d) and 23 (a) to 23 (f) show and explain the measurement results according to the present embodiment.

22 (a) to 22 (d) are measurement results based on image data obtained by manual shooting with one camera, and FIGS. 23 (a) to 23 (f) are a plurality of cameras. It is a measurement result based on the image data obtained by the automatic shooting by the camera.

In these figures, Egg-No is the egg number. The first two digits such as W30 indicate the age of the week, and the younger the number following W, the younger the age of the week.

The age of the week, the date of measurement, and the system (manual / automatic) are as follows.

SEX is the result of male-female identification of eggs identified by feather discrimination. SGPT indicates a singular point (SGS) or a non-singular point (NoSG). When the case of detecting a singular point as shown in FIG. 24 and the case of detecting a singular point are separated from each other, an appraisal error due to a minute signal can be avoided, and therefore, which one is set at the time of appraisal is shown. AIP_SRRL is the logical product (= and (IncSR0, IncSR90)) according to the slope of the minor axis of the egg, which is the inspection mode. If it is in phase, it will be IP, and if it is in reverse phase, it will be AP.

TLMC45 is a tail area distortion due to shooting at an angle of 45 degrees. IncSR0 is the inclination of the minor axis when photographed at an angle of 0 degrees, and IncSR90 is the inclination of the minor axis when photographed at an angle of 90 degrees. If it leans to the left, it will be Left, and if it leans to the right, it will be Right. AIP_XRC is a logical product of the distortion direction of the contour vector by shooting at a shooting angle of 0 degrees and the distortion direction of the contour vector by shooting at an angle of 45 degrees.

PD_BLARL is the 90 degree phase difference of the reference vector. PD_TRTCL is a logical product of the integrated value of the contour vector of the tail from the minor axis taken at an imaging angle of 45 degrees and the integrated value of the contour vector of the tail from the minor axis taken at an angle of 90 degrees. PD_F45FB is a phase characteristic in which the contour vector distortion of the head is further divided into about 27 degrees from the balance point described above. When Forward is stronger than back, it is called Lead, and when it is weak, it is called Lag. And PD_YRL is the phase difference of the minor axis (= Ly0-Ly90). Lag means phase lag and Lead means phase advance.

From FIGS. 22 (a) and 22 (b), it can be seen that PD_YRL accurately identifies males and females regardless of whether (TLMC45, AIP_XRC) is (Left, IP) or (Left, AP). .. Further, from FIGS. 22 (c) and 22 (d), in any case where (TLMC45, PD_BLARL) is (Right, Lead) or (Right, Lag), PD_YRL accurately identifies the sex of the egg. You can see that. The egg identification result of W3617 is considered to be an error due to a defect in the imaging mechanism.

From FIGS. 23 (a) and 23 (b), PD_YRL is obtained regardless of whether (PD_F45FB, PD_TRTCL) is (Lead, Lead), (Lead, Lag), (Lag, Lag), or (Lag, Lead). It can be seen that accurate identification of males and females has been made. In addition, in this group, there is regularity between the combination of PD_F45FB and PD_TRTCL and PD_YRL, so it is possible to identify the sex of eggs by the combination of PD_F45FB and PD_TRTCL.

From FIGS. 23 (c) to 23 (f), PD_YRL is obtained regardless of whether (PD_F45FB, PD_TRTCL) is (Lead, Lead), (Lead, Lag), (Lag, Lead), or (Lag, Lag). It can be seen that the sex is accurately identified. This means that accurate appraisal is possible in any of the four quadrants in which 360 degrees are divided into 90 degrees. The egg identification result of W4734 is considered to be an error due to a defect in the imaging mechanism.

AIP_SRRL is IP in FIGS. 22 (a) to 22 (d), and AIP_SRRL is AP in FIGS. 23 (a) to 23 (f). In either case, PD_YRL accurately identifies the sex. You can see that.

In this example, the information of the determination element PD_YRL is reversed for two eggs out of the 41 eggs in the sample. The information that the opposite is true is determined by violating the four-quadrant reversible theorem, but the structural information up to the determination has the same complicated conditions. Moreover, since it is known that these two eggs are shooting mistakes, if the shooting mechanism is ideal, a judgment mistake does not occur. This fact arises from the fact that the male and female structure of the egg is independent of size and strain, and it is unlikely that the egg has transsexualized. Therefore, the present application sufficiently discloses a specific method for replacing the current anal appraisal and feather appraisal appraisal rate, and the appraisal rate equivalent to the current anal appraisal and feather appraisal appraisal rate of 95% to 98%. You can get the rate.

The configuration and operation of the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which employs the viewpoint of sex identification as described above, are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment described above with reference to FIG. be. However, the details of the analysis unit are different from those of the first embodiment. The control unit of the fertilized egg sex identification device is realized by a computer or the like.

Therefore, FIG. 25 shows and describes a detailed configuration of the analysis unit.

The analysis unit 100 of the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment executes the program of the storage unit 69 to execute the element calculation unit 100a, the area strain calculation unit 100b, the minor axis phase difference calculation unit 100c, and the minor axis. It functions as an inclination calculation unit 100d, a minor axis inclination logical product calculation unit 100e, an area strain and minor axis inclination logical product calculation unit 100f, and an appraisal unit 100g.

Also in this embodiment, the photographing system includes a plurality of cameras arranged so as to be able to shoot at different shooting angles, and the long axis of the fertilized egg is the X-axis, the short axis is the Y-axis, and the X-axis. The axis perpendicular to the Y-axis is the Z-axis, and above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis, light is emitted at an angle of 45 degrees to one side and the other side on the Y-axis with respect to the Z-axis. The axis is tilted, and shooting on one side is taken at an angle of 0 degrees, and shooting on the other side is taken at an angle of 90 degrees. For example, in the configuration of FIG. 10 shown above, the camera 50 (left camera) shoots at an angle of 0 degrees, the camera 51 (center camera) shoots at an angle of 45 degrees, and the camera 52 (light). Shooting with a camera) is shooting at an angle of 90 degrees.

More specifically, the element calculation unit 100a calculates the elements (for example, contour vector, minor axis, major axis, area, etc.) required for the calculation in each unit. The area strain calculation unit 100b has a head area strain due to the right side area S_HR of the head from the minor axis, the left side area S_HL of the head from the minor axis, the right side area S_TR of the tail from the minor axis, and the left side area S_TL of the tail from the minor axis. Calculate HLMC and tail area strain TLMC. The minor-diameter phase difference calculation unit 100c has a minor-diameter phase difference PD_YRL due to a minor-diameter Ly0 taken at a shooting angle of 0 degrees, a minor-diameter Ly45 shot at an angle of 45 degrees, and a minor-diameter Ly90 shot at an angle of 90 degrees. , PD_YRC, PD_YCL are calculated. The minor axis inclination calculation unit 100d calculates the minor axis inclinations IncSR0, IncSR45, and IncSR90 from the image data obtained by shooting at angles of 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees. The minor axis inclination logical product calculation unit 100e calculates the logical product AIP_SRRL, AIP_SRRC, and AIP_SRCL based on the inclination of the minor axis. The area strain and minor axis inclination logical product calculation unit 100f calculates the logical product of the tail area strain and the minor axis inclination by the tail area strains TLMC0, TLMC45, TLMC90 and the minor axis inclinations IncSR0, IncSR45, IncSR90. Then, the appraisal unit 100g performs and outputs a male-female appraisal of the fertilized egg based on at least one of the calculation results of each unit.

The processing procedure by the fertilized egg sex identification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same as that described above in the first embodiment, but the processing in the analysis (S3) is different. In the processing of this analysis, the sex is identified by the above analysis using the above-mentioned parts 100a to 100g.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the following techniques are realized.

(2-1) A method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg based on the contour of the fertilized egg by a computer, and the contour is extracted based on the image data obtained by photographing the fertilized egg at different angles. A fertilized egg sex identification method in which the minor axis is calculated from the contour, the phase difference of the minor axis corresponding to the imaging at each angle is calculated, and the sex is determined using the phase difference of the minor axis.

(2-2) In the determination of the male and female in the above (2-1), the contour is extracted based on the image data, the inclination of the minor diameter is calculated from the contour, and the shooting at each angle is supported. A fertilized egg sex identification method that further uses the relationship of the inclination of the minor axis.

(2-3) In the determination of male and female in the above (2-1) and (2-2), a contour is extracted based on the image data, and the area distortion and the inclination of the minor diameter are calculated from the contour. A fertilized egg sex identification method that further utilizes the relationship between the area strain and the inclination of the minor axis.

(2-4) A fertilized egg sex identification device, a program, or a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, which carries out the methods (2-1) to (2-3) above.

As described in detail above, the inclination of the minor axis of the egg changes as shown in FIG. 12 when the photograph is taken while rotating the egg 360 degrees to the right with respect to the major axis of the egg. In the present invention, as described above, when it is tilted to the left, it is defined as Left, and when it is tilted to the right, it is defined as Right. As the minor axis tilts to the left and right, the length also changes, and as a result, the area strain of the head and tail changes. Then, when the phase with a slope of 0 degrees was advanced by 90 degrees and the logical product of the two was obtained, it became clear that the characteristics were inverted every 90 degrees. For example, FIG. 20 (c) shows the logical product AIP_SRRL of the slopes IncSR0 and IncSR90 of the minor axis. Since this characteristic has the same kind of characteristic as the phase difference of the minor axis, the characteristic of the logical product can be used for sex discrimination as well as the phase difference of the minor diameter. From this point of view, in the present invention, it is possible to determine the sex by using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product.

Furthermore, the velocity curve of the egg can be obtained by the slope of the minor axis, which is consistent with the principle of forced vibration of the pendulum. The value changes rapidly, that is, non-linearly, depending on the shooting angle, but automatic discrimination between male and female is impossible unless the change pattern is specified. Therefore, in the present invention, the primary region reference is set to "slope of minor axis". The strain that changes with the size of the egg, which does not undergo a phase change, is not a parameter that replaces the slope of the minor axis. Then, in the present invention, the sex of the egg is discriminated by the "logical product of the inclination of the minor axis".

In addition, the direction of rotation of the egg appears to be opposite for males and females every 90 ° (4 quadrants). Therefore, a technique for automatically detecting four quadrants is required for sexing eggs. Therefore, in the present invention, the detection is performed by the rotation speed in the tilting direction of the egg. That is, as a specific method, it is obtained by the logical product of the slope of the minor axis of the egg. It was found that the logical product utilizes the non-linear characteristics of the egg, and in particular, the parameters having the opposite phase characteristics are also effective for the detection of four quadrants.

Furthermore, when the tilt IncSR of the egg is used as a reference, the head area distortion HLMC is in phase with the tilt, and the tail area distortion TLMC is 90 degrees ahead of the minor axis tilt IncSR in the female egg and the phase in the male egg. It became clear that it was delayed by 90 degrees. Therefore, it was clarified that the sex can be identified even with the tail area distortion. Therefore, by adding the area distortion, even more accurate male-female identification can be realized.

Further, in the present invention, it is clarified that the sex identification by simultaneous three-sided imaging is realized for the first time in the world. It is generally known that the size of an egg changes by nearly 20% from the time the parent bird begins laying eggs until it becomes abandoned chicken, but this change also changes the center of the egg placed on the pedestal, and this change. As a result, the position of the long axis of the egg changes on the horizontal plane and on the vertical line, which affects the imaging. However, in the present invention, the influence is prevented by adjusting the mounting table by the 3-axis control unit.

Therefore, according to the fertilized egg sex identification device, the fertilized egg sex identification method, and the program according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the fertilized egg is non-destructively, non-contacted, and has a high identification rate. Since female eggs can be identified, non-male eggs such as female eggs and rarely mixed indistinguishable eggs can be produced as vaccines or used as foodstuffs. This eliminates the need to dispose of hatched male chicks and eliminates ethical issues. Furthermore, by targeting only female eggs for hatching, half of the hatching equipment can be used to increase the production of female chicks. In addition, by turning non-female eggs into foodstuffs, it is possible to deal with the situation of global protein source shortage.

Although the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this and various improvements and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, when the inclination of the long axis of the egg obtained in the process of measurement is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a measurement error may be foreseen and a warning may be given to urge adjustment or stop of imaging.

50, 51, 52 ... Camera, 53 ... Control unit, 54 ... 0 degree contour generation unit, 55 ... 45 degree contour generation unit, 56 ... 90 degree contour generation unit, 57 ... 3-plane contour synthesis unit, 58 ... Analysis unit, 59 ... Angle command unit, 60 ... Angle control unit, 61 ... Wave driver, 62 ... Rotation driver, 63 ... Lift driver, 64 ... Horizontal angle adjustment mechanism, 65 ... Rotation angle control adjustment mechanism, 66 ... Height adjustment mechanism, 67 ... Display unit, 68 ... Operation unit, 69 ... Storage unit, 70 ... Mounting stand.

Claims (7)

It is a method for determining the sex of a fertilized egg based on the image data obtained by taking pictures with a plurality of cameras by a computer to determine the sex of the fertilized egg based on the contour of the fertilized egg.
A two-dimensional plane composed of the long axis of the fertilized egg as the X axis, the short axis as the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis as the Z axis, and the X axis and the Y axis. Above, the optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees to one side and the other side on the Y axis with respect to the Z axis, and both the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side are on the two-dimensional plane. The first and second cameras are installed so as to intersect the Y-axis at the center of the fertilized egg in.
The contour of the fertilized egg is extracted based on the image data obtained by photographing the fertilized egg at different angles, the minor axis is calculated from the contour, and the minor axis obtained by photographing at an angle of 0 degrees with the first camera and the above. The phase difference of the minor axis, which is the difference in minor axis due to shooting at an angle of 90 degrees by the second camera, is calculated, and the phase difference of the minor axis is calculated, and the shooting at an angle of 0 degrees by the first camera and the angle of 90 degrees by the second camera are used. A fertilized egg sex identification method in which the logical product of the inclination of the minor axis obtained by the imaging of the above is calculated, and the sex is determined using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product. In the determination of male and female, the head area strain, which is the difference between the area on the right side of the head from the minor axis and the area on the left side of the head from the minor axis, with the minor axis as the boundary from the contour, and the minor axis 2. Fertilized egg sex identification method. A fertilized egg sex identification device that determines male and female based on the contour of the fertilized egg.
A two-dimensional plane composed of the long axis of the fertilized egg as the X axis, the short axis as the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis as the Z axis, and the X axis and the Y axis. Above, the optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees to one side and the other side on the Y axis with respect to the Z axis, and both the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side are on the two-dimensional plane. The first and second cameras installed so as to intersect the Y-axis at the center of the fertilized egg in
The contour of the fertilized egg is extracted based on the image data obtained by photographing the fertilized egg at different angles, the minor axis is calculated from the contour, and the minor axis obtained by photographing at an angle of 0 degrees with the first camera and the above. The phase difference of the minor axis, which is the difference in the minor axis due to the shooting at an angle of 90 degrees by the second camera, is calculated, and the shooting at an angle of 0 degrees by the first camera and the angle of 90 degrees by the second camera are calculated. A fertilized egg sex identification device including a control unit that calculates the logical product of the inclination of the minor axis obtained by imaging and determines the sex using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product. In the determination of male and female, the control unit determines the head area distortion, which is the difference between the area on the right side of the head from the minor axis and the area on the left side of the head from the minor axis, with the minor axis as the boundary from the contour. Claim 3 which calculates the tail area strain which is the difference between the right side area of the tail from the minor axis and the left side area of the tail from the minor axis, and further uses the head area strain and the relationship between the tail area and the inclination of the minor axis. The fertilized egg sex identification device described in 1. A third camera arranged above the two-dimensional plane composed of the X-axis and the Y-axis and above the Z-axis of the fertilized egg at the intersection of the X-axis and the Y-axis.
A mounting table capable of horizontal angle control, rotation angle control, and height control,
The three-axis control unit that performs the horizontal angle control, the rotation angle control, and the height control is provided.
The fertilized egg is placed on the above-mentioned stand and
The three control units servo-control the long axis of the fertilized egg as seen by the third camera so as to be parallel to the X axis, and the minor axis of the fertilized egg is set to a preset fixed value. The height is controlled so that the above-mentioned pedestal is driven and controlled so that the points visited by the optical axes of the first camera and the second camera and the long axis of the fertilized egg are aligned with each other. The fertilized egg appraisal device according to claim 3, wherein a three-sided image is taken by a three-camera. A two-dimensional plane composed of the long axis of a fertilized egg as the X-axis, the short-axis as the Y-axis, the axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis as the Z-axis, and the X-axis and the Y-axis. Above, the optical axis is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees to one side and the other side on the Y axis with respect to the Z axis, and both the optical axis on one side and the optical axis on the other side are on the two-dimensional plane. A program for determining the sex of a fertilized egg based on image data obtained by photographing with the first and second cameras arranged so as to intersect the Y-axis at the center of the fertilized egg.
Computer,
The contour of the fertilized egg is extracted based on the image data obtained by photographing the fertilized egg at different angles, the minor axis is calculated from the contour, and the minor axis obtained by photographing at an angle of 0 degrees with the first camera and the above. The phase difference of the minor axis, which is the difference in the minor axis due to the shooting at an angle of 90 degrees by the second camera, is calculated, and the shooting at an angle of 0 degrees by the first camera and the angle of 90 degrees by the second camera are calculated. A program that calculates the logical product of the inclination of the minor axis obtained by photographing and functions as a control unit that determines the sex using the phase difference of the minor axis and the logical product. In the determination of male and female, the control unit determines the head area distortion, which is the difference between the area on the right side of the head from the minor axis and the area on the left side of the head from the minor axis, with the minor axis as the boundary from the contour. Claim 6 that calculates the tail area strain, which is the difference between the right side area of the tail from the minor axis and the left side area of the tail from the minor axis, and further uses the head area strain and the relationship between the tail area and the inclination of the minor axis. The program described in.

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